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New Arrivals

Heather James Fine Art is proud to present a selection of the most recent artworks to our gallery. Masterworks from Frida Kahlo, Alfred Sisley and Ansel Adams are just a few of the top Impressionist, Modern, Post-War and Contemporary artworks currently available through Heather James.If there is a particular artist or artwork you are interested in, please contact us and we will work with you to make your collection complete.

(760) 346-8926
[email protected]

<div><font face=Lato size=3 color=black>Clyfford Still occupies a monumental position in the history of modern art, often heralded as the earliest pure abstract painter to work on an expansive scale. By the early 1940s, Still had already arrived at a radically abstract visual language that transcended the aesthetic frameworks of his peers, rejecting representational imagery and producing canvases that were immense in size and conceptual ambition. Pollock famously confessed that “Still makes the rest of us look academic,” and Rothko once kept a Still painting in his bedroom as a guiding inspiration. His work was, as critic Clement Greenberg remarked, “estranging and upsetting” in its genuine originality, a raw and elemental confrontation of form and color that defied conventional expectations.<br>
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<br><div><font face=Lato size=3 color=black>For viewers familiar with Still’s oeuvre, his paintings typically evoke a powerful physicality: vast canvases covered in richly textured layers of pigment—earthy blacks, ochres, siennas, and cadmiums—applied with a trowel-like rigor that recalls weathered geological formations. These thickly encrusted surfaces often alternate with more thinly painted passages, all juxtaposed against large swaths of bare canvas that lend his compositions a sense of immense scale and open-ended possibility. This aesthetic, rooted in the grandeur of raw and elemental presence, often manifests as jagged, opaque forms whose stark contrasts convey a primal energy.<br>
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<br><div><font face=Lato size=3 color=black><em>“PH-589”,</em> on the other hand, marks a transition in Still’s career, where his already profound engagement with abstraction began to evolve toward greater spareness and a deeper exploration of the expressive potential of voids and open space. Painted in 1959, the expected density of his earlier surfaces gives way to a lighter touch and a more restrained use of paint. Against largely unpainted ground, two jagged shapes of continental significance hang suspended, their edges torn and irregular, as if wrested from the canvas itself. The bare canvas, which had served as a compositional counterpoint in Still’s earlier works, now asserts itself as a dominant feature, heightening the power of the painted forms while introducing an ethereal sense of light and space.<br>
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<br><div><font face=Lato size=3 color=black>This shift was both aesthetic and philosophical. By the late 1950s, Still had grown increasingly disenchanted with the art world, distancing himself from its commercial and critical structures<em>. “PH-589”</em> is an anticipatory event before his move to rural Maryland in 1961 that coincided with a period of introspection and formal refinement when Still began to strip his compositions down to their essential elements. As Still explained, he sought to fuse color, texture, and form into “a living spirit,” transcending their materiality to evoke the human capacity for transcendence.</font></div>
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<br>This painting signals the burgeoning openness of Still’s later works, where the interplay of painted forms and unpainted ground would become a defining characteristic. By the 1960s and 1970s, Still’s palette grew lighter, his gestures sparser, and his use of emptiness more deliberate, creating compositions that were at once monumental and ephemeral. Yet the seeds of that evolution are already present here in the restrained yet powerful interplay of color and space. His revolutionary approach to abstraction—both in scale and in spirit—provided a foundation upon which the Abstract Expressionists built their legacy. At the same time, his work resists easy interpretation, demanding instead an unmediated confrontation with its raw, elemental presence. With its terse eloquence and rhythmic vitality, this painting is both a culmination of Still’s early achievements and a momentous portent of his later innovations.</font></div>

Untitled (PH-589)

<div><font face=Lato size=3 color=black>Irving Norman conceived and created <em>The Human Condition</em> at a time when he must have reflected deeply on the totality of his life. Given its grand scale and cinematic treatment, it impresses as a profound culmination of his artistic journey, synthesizing decades of themes, insights, and experiences into a single monumental work. A man of great humility and an artist of uncommon skill, he translated a horrendous war experience into impactful allegories of unforgettable, often visceral imagery. He worked in solitude with relentless forbearance in a veritable vacuum without fame or financial security. Looking to the past, acutely aware of present trends, he knew, given the human predicament, he was forecasting the future. As one New York Times reviewer mused in 2008, "In light of current circumstances, Mr. Norman's dystopian vision may strike some…as eerily pertinent," an observation that recalled recent events.<br>
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<br><div><font face=Lato size=3 color=black>Irving Norman's figures, manipulated by their environment and physical space, are of a style that exaggerates the malleability of the human form to underscore their vulnerability and subjugation. This literal and symbolic elasticity suggests that these figures are stretched, compressed, or twisted by the forces of their environment, emphasizing their lack of autonomy and the oppressive systems that govern their existence. While these figures reflect vulnerability, Norman's structural choice in <em>The Human Condition</em> creates a stark juxtaposition that shifts attention toward the central tableau. A commanding female figure, rising above the calamitous failures and atrocities of the past, is joined by a man, forming a symbolic "couple,” suggesting the unity and shared responsibility of a new vision. Their hands, magnified and upturned, present these children as a vision offering hope and renewal for the future. The gesture, combined with the futuristic clothing of the diminutive figures, reinforces the idea of an alternative path—a brighter, forward-looking humanity. The central tableau acts as a metaphorical offering, inviting the viewer to consider a future untouched by the weight of darkness from which these figures emerge.<br>
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<br><div><font face=Lato size=3 color=black>Here, Norman underscores a hopeful, if not optimistic, vision for generations ahead. The structural decision suggests a deliberate shift in focus: the darker scenes relegated to the sides represent the burdens, past and present. At the same time, the central figures embody the potential for a future shaped by resilience and renewal. This juxtaposition distinguishes <em>The Human Condition</em> as a reflection of Norman's later years, where a tempered hope emerges to claim the high ground over the war-mongering, abject corruption, frantic pleasure-seeking, and the dehumanizing effects of modern society.<br>
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<br><div><font face=Lato size=3 color=black>Throughout his long career, Norman stood tall in his convictions; he turned, faced the large, empty canvases, and designed and painted complex, densely populated scenes. As for recognition, he rationalized the situation—fame or fortune risked the unsullied nature of an artist's quest. Ultimately, <em>The Human Condition</em> is a summation of Norman's life and work and a call to action, urging us to examine our complicity in the systems he so vividly depicted. Through meticulous craftsmanship and allegorical intensity, it is a museum-worthy masterwork that continues to resonate, its themes as pertinent today as they were when Norman painstakingly brought his vision to life.</font></div>

The Human Condition

<div>Modigliani's premature death due to tuberculosis in 1920 at the age of 35 robbed the world of one of the fathers of Modern Art. His work was revolutionary; living and working in Paris during the first quarter of the Twentieth Century put the young artist at the center of the most significant advancement of painting since Impressionism, several decades before. </div>
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<br><div>His short and brilliant career, filled with his signature nudes, could not be completely appreciated without considering the significant body of works on paper. "Cariatide" refers to the Greek architectural sculptures, the Caryatids. These columns carved into female figures hold up the entablature of temples. Modigliani called the subject his </div>
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<br><div>"columns of tenderness." This drawing offers an early instance of the curving lines and almond shapes that mark Modigliani's signature style.</div>

AMEDEO MODIGLIANI

blue crayon on buff paper

<div><font face=Calibri size=3 color=black>Camille Claudel's life story reflects an era when societal constraints often dimmed the brilliance of women; their genius was viewed as a threat to the male-dominated world. Most introductions to Claudel are steeped in misleading biographical details related to her as Rodin's assistant, mistress, or lover, associations that diminish her achievements as a first-rate sculptor whose work borrows little from Rodin in style or subject matter. Despite these challenges, Claudel's legacy has endured, celebrated through exhibitions, biographies, and films since her rediscovery in 1982. </font></div>
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<br><div><font face=Calibri size=3 color=black><em>“La Vague (The Wave),”</em> a remarkable sculpture of three women frolicking joyfully, embodies Claudel's passion for art and connection to nature. The women, their hair unruly like the sea, are depicted in a moment of freedom and abandon, yet the looming wave hints at the inevitable sorrow to come—a metaphor for Claudel's life, shadowed by fate. This piece, initially shown in plaster and later cast in bronze with an onyx marble wave, draws direct inspiration from Hokusai's <em>“The Great Wave,”</em> reflecting the Parisian fascination with Japanese art at the time. While <em>“La Vague”</em> showcases Claudel's technical mastery and the influence of Japanese aesthetics, it also poignantly symbolizes her acceptance of the overpowering forces of nature and the tragic course her life would ultimately take. This bronze, cast in 1997, is one of only two not held in a museum, further emphasizing the rarity of and reverence for Claudel's work.</font></div>

CAMILLE CLAUDEL

La Vague (The Wave)

c. 1897 / posthumous cast 1997

24 1/4 x 19 x 24 in.

<div>Fernand Léger’s "Composition orange et noir" (1937)—translated as "Orange and Black Composition"—marks a significant moment in the artist’s evolving exploration of form and subject matter. Painted during the 1930s, the work reflects Léger’s shift away from the rigid “mécanique” language of his earlier career toward more organic shapes and motifs, while still retaining the influence of industrial design. The composition is structured by bold bands of black, fawn brown, and orange, which create a circular framework. Yet within this framework, the interior elements strain against containment: pale brown cylinders evoke wooden logs, while loose black whips suggest seaweed, sticks, or leaves, imbuing the work with a sense of dynamic, natural movement. </div>
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<br><div>This interplay between organic and inorganic elements recalls the found objects Léger collected during his walks on his farm in Normandy, translating everyday material forms into abstract pictorial language. At the same time, the work belongs to an important period of international recognition for the artist, when he was exhibiting prominently at the Museum of Modern Art in New York and at the Kunsthalle Zürich. "Composition orange et noir" thus encapsulates Léger’s unique ability to synthesize the mechanical and the natural into a unified, yet playfully experimental, vision. The work is included in the artist's catalogue raisonné by Georges Bauquier for works from 1932-1937 as entry 934. </div>

Composition orange et noir

36 1/8 x 23 1/2 in.

ROLAND PETERSEN - Waiting Figure - oil on canvas - 68 x 56 in.

ROLAND PETERSEN

ALEXANDER CALDER - Soucoupes Volantes - gouache - 29 3/8 x 43 1/4 in.

ALEXANDER CALDER

Soucoupes Volantes

29 3/8 x 43 1/4 in.

HARRY BERTOIA - Untitled (Sounding Sculpture) - beryllium copper and bronze with wood base - 36 1/2 x 8 x 8 in.

Untitled (Sounding Sculpture)

36 1/2 x 8 x 8 in.

beryllium copper and bronze with wood base

HARRY BERTOIA - Willow Sculpture - stainless steel - 61 1/2 x 39 x 39 in.

Willow Sculpture

61 1/2 x 39 x 39 in.

stainless steel

WALEAD BESHTY - Los Caballos en la Conquista - Ceramica Suro slip cast remnants, glaze, and firing plate - 9 1/2 x 32 1/4 x 21 1/2 in.

Los Caballos en la Conquista

9 1/2 x 32 1/4 x 21 1/2 in.

Ceramica Suro slip cast remnants, glaze, and firing plate

CHUCK CLOSE - Kate - archival pigment print - 32 x 24 in.

archival pigment print

KENNETH NOLAND - Winds 82-23 - painted monotype on handmade paper - 86 1/2 x 31 3/8 in.

86 1/2 x 31 3/8 in.

painted monotype on handmade paper

IRVING NORMAN - Striptease - pencil and colored pencil on paper - 30 x 20 in.

pencil and colored pencil on paper

FELIPE CASTANEDA - Mujer con Guitarra - marble - 16 1/2 x 10 1/2 x 10 in.

FELIPE CASTANEDA

Mujer con Guitarra

16 1/2 x 10 1/2 x 10 in.

DENNIS OPPENHEIM - Launching Station #1 - color pencil and pigment on paper - 76 x 50 in.

DENNIS OPPENHEIM

Launching Station #1

color pencil and pigment on paper

SAM FRANCIS - Untitled (Black and White Composition) - acrylic on paper - 23 3/4 x 17 3/4 in.

Untitled (Black and White Composition)

23 3/4 x 17 3/4 in.

acrylic on paper

JASPER JOHNS - Voice 2 - lithograph in seven colors on handmade Fred Stiegenthaler paper - 17 x 23 in.

lithograph in seven colors on handmade Fred Stiegenthaler paper

FELIPE CASTANEDA - Mujer Peinandose - bronze - 16 1/4 x 11 3/4 x 11 in.

FELIPE CASTANEDA

Mujer Peinandose

16 1/4 x 11 3/4 x 11 in.

FELIPE CASTANEDA - Pensando - marble - 11 1/2 x 7 x 7 in.

FELIPE CASTANEDA

11 1/2 x 7 x 7 in.

FELIPE CASTANEDA - Mujer Hincada - black onyx - 15 3/4 x 8 1/2 x 9 in

FELIPE CASTANEDA

15 3/4 x 8 1/2 x 9 in

Irving Norman was born in 1906 in Vilna, then part of the Russian Empire, now Lithuania. Norman's immigration to New York City in 1923 was short-lived, as he would return to Europe to fight as part of the Abraham Lincoln battalion against the Spanish dictator Francisco Franco. After the War, Norman would eventually settle in Half Moon Bay, California, where he embarked on a prolific studio practice.
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<br>Norman's work portrays the horrors of war and his firsthand knowledge of totalitarian dictatorships. Norman's work has been described as "Social Surrealism," and his grand scenes are immediate and arresting. The large-scale works of Norman truly capture the power of his lived experiences; they are as much a visual record as they are a warning for the future, intended to inspire change.

graphite on paper

KENNETH NOLAND - Diagonal Stripe VI-21 - handmade paper - 48 x 33 1/2 in.

Diagonal Stripe VI-21

48 x 33 1/2 in.

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